How to Train Your Dog to Stay Away from the Road

You step out onto the sidewalk to start your walk, but before you can even look for oncoming traffic, your canine friend has leapt into the road without a care in the world. You swiftly pull on the leash to avoid the oncoming truck. Fortunately, you get away with just a beep from the truck and you read some choice words coming from his lips. This isn’t the first time your dog has had a near miss on the roads and you fear it won’t be the last. It’s made even worse if you live near busy roads where the chances of an accident are high.

Training your dog to stay away from roads could save you from serious consequences. If he is involved in a traffic collision and survives, you may have a hefty vet bill. But even worse, he may not survive and you could lose him for good. Setting some road boundaries, therefore, is essential.

Training your dog to stay away from roads isn’t all plain sailing. Getting him to be aware of the road boundaries takes considerable time and a number of steps. You’ll have to increase your control with obedience commands and you’ll have to utilize a number of measures to make getting on the road harder. If he’s a young puppy he should be eager to learn and respond to training in just a week or two. If he’s older with years of playing traffic roulette under his collar, be prepared to invest up to 6 weeks into training.

Get the training right and you could well save his life. You may also save someone else’s life. Every year people die when they try to swerve out of the way of hazards on the road. You don’t want your canine pal to be responsible for anyone's death!

Before your road safety course begins, you’ll need a few bits. You need a quiet stretch of road to practice on and you’ll need to avoid training during the early morning and evening rush hour. You’ll also want to get some treats or your dog's favorite food broken into small chunks. These will be used to motivate and reward him.

You’ll also need a secure leash, 15 minutes a day to dedicate to training, and a positive attitude. Once you’ve collected all of that, you’re good to go!